Reaping Cherries: Book 1  The Silver Millennium
by Sakura Aloni
Summary: One young princess's life is changed forever when her mother cares more for her own vanity that for her child. Rated T for later chapters
1. Prologue

A/N: I do not own Sailor Moon it belongs to Takeuchi Naoko. All OC's belong to me; any similarity to other fan-made characters is purely coincidental.

I also want to send a special thanks to my Beta: ObsessiveJemima. She's been putting up with my recent Karl Urban obsession and the fact that she's not very familiar with the Sailor Moon fandom. I love ya lots Jemi and I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.

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><p>A young girl who looked to be about four years old walked into the vast throne room of the Dream Moon Palace, her dark blue eyes scanned the room as if looking for someone.<p>

She smiled when she spotted the person she was looking for: a woman whose facial features looked strikingly similar to those of the young girl. Both women had elf-like pointy ears, but the older woman had golden eyes with slits for pupils.

This woman was Queen Nehellenia Adara Tsukiyume, queen of the Dream Moon Kingdom on the far side of Earth's moon.

The Queen scowled when she heard the soft click of the girl's shoes on the smooth stone floor. "I thought I ordered you to keep the princess out of the throne room today?" She spoke to the servant who followed the young girl inside.

"My apologies Milady, she was eager to see what you were doing." A stout woman with gray hair and brown eyes rushed up to the little girl. "Come Princess, your mother is very busy today."

"But..." The Princess started to say as her mother got up to leave.

"Not today, my daughter. Perhaps another day; Ariana, take Princess Nehellenia back to her room." Queen Nehellenia said, walking toward the doors.

When the queen had left, Ariana took young Nehellenia to her rooms.

~_dream_~

A short while later, while Ariana was reading the princess's favorite book there was a knock on the chamber doors.

Ariana set the book aside and went to answer it.

"My apologies for disturbing you Miss Ariana, but I have come to collect Princess Nehellenia. Queen Serenity wishes for her to move into the Lunar Palace." The man on the other side of the door said.

"What happened to Queen Nehellenia?" Ariana asked, curious as to what was going on.

"The queen attempted to take the Golden Crystal and use it against Queen Serenity. She has been sealed away in the very mirror that corrupted her, along with many of those who were involved with the plan." He said.

Ariana gasped, she had no idea that her queen would do such a thing.

"You and Princess Nehellenia are to pack your things and take The Ark to the Lunar Palace; Queen Serenity will be waiting for you." He said.

Ariana nodded stiffly and called in a few other servants who hadn't been sealed away with Queen Nehellenia to help her pack.

~_dream_~

_Meanwhile in the Lunar Palace_

"Your Majesty I really must protest, you cannot possibly think to take in the daughter of the woman who attempted to destroy your Kingdom." Luna, Queen Serenity's black feline advisor was pacing back and forth, her tail swishing in agitation.

"That is exactly what I plan to do Luna. All of Queen Nehellenia's advisors were sealed away. They would have been responsible for the princess's education. I will not punish an innocent child for her mother's mistakes. When she is old enough I shall let her return to the Dream Moon Palace and lead her people as she should." Queen Serenity explained.

"I don't like this; I have a very bad feeling." Luna said, concern written all over her face.

"You worry too much Luna. Let us go get Serenity; she should be present when Nehellenia arrives." Queen Serenity walked away and with a hefty sigh Luna followed.

~_dream_~

Two hours later Queen Serenity stood in the Lunar Palace's Ark Chamber with her daughter: Princess Serenity, and Luna, waiting for Princess Nehellenia and her caretaker Ariana.

When the two arrived Queen Serenity greeted the two with a warm smile despite Princess Nehellenia's scowl.

"Welcome to the Lunar Palace, please, follow me and I shall show you to your chambers." Queen Serenity walked off as everyone followed her.

And thus the adventure begins. For this is only the beginning of my story; the story of Princess Nehellenia Sakura Tsukiyume and how my life was changed when my mother decided that being young and beautiful forever was more important that her own kingdom and daughter.


	2. Chapter 1  Meetings

A/N: I do not own Sailor Moon it belongs to Takeuchi Naoko. All OC's belong to me; any similarity to other fan-made characters is purely coincidental.

Thanks again to my beta: ObsessiveJemima, I owe her my life.

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><p><strong>Reaping Cherries<br>Book 1 Chapter 1: Meetings**

I stood on the balcony that overlooked the gardens. It had only been a few days since my return to the Dream Moon Palace; but those who had stayed had taken good care of it.

I sighed and gripped the railing, even though I was a Sailor Soldier, Queen Serenity insisted that I have a Guardian. Sparing one more glance at the stars, I walked back inside and changed into proper royal attire to meet him.

~_dream_~

I sat upon the throne and waited. I had been told the man's name was Zenas Talya from the Martian Royal Army and I wasn't sure what to expect.

Then, the doors opened and in walked a man wearing the red and gold armor of the Martian Royal Army, his dark hair was cut into the simple military style, nothing really stood out about him. I wondered if he could really protect me; he only looked a couple of years older than my sixteen solar years.

He walked toward me and stopped about ten foot from the throne and bowed deeply at the waist, "Princess Nehellenia Sakura Tsukiyume, I am Zenas Talya. Queen Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom has asked me to be your Guardian."

"Do you believe you are fit for such a job?" I asked.

"I will do as I am asked. It is my duty, and I will do it to the best of my ability." He said, looking up at me.

"Then do you pledge your loyalty to me, and swear to protect me from harm, no matter the consequences?" I asked.

"I do, Your Majesty. I am but your humble servant. I hereby pledge myself to you, to guard and protect you from any and all dangers, with my life, if necessary." He dropped to one knee as was tradition and rested his hands on his knee then bowed his head in submission.

"I accept your pledge. Rise, Guardian Talya, and take your place at my side." I said and he got up and stood to my left and slightly behind.

I turned to a servant, "Send word to Queen Serenity that it is done. Zenas Talya is now my Guardian." The servant nodded and hurried off.

I walked back to my personal chambers, Talya following me. I sighed and turned to him.

"I am only going to say this once, so listen well. I am a Sailor Soldier and I do not need your protection. I am only doing this for Queen Serenity; she has done much for me after my mother's deception. So, you play the part of the good Guardian and I will take care of myself, understood?" I said, staring him in the eyes.

"With all due respect Your Majesty, just because you are a Sailor Soldier does not mean that you do not need protection. So forgive me for saying that I will not follow those orders, and I will do my job as I have pledged to do." His stare was hard, determined.

I quirked and eyebrow, "Defiance on your first day? Are you sure you are a member of the Martian Royal Army?" My tone was playful as I continued down the hallway, then up a set of stairs.

"I can assure you that I am, or_ was_ rather, Your Highness." He said. I couldn't see his face, but I'm good at reading people and I could hear the smile in his voice.

I sighed a bit as I stood outside my chamber doors, "Alright, I will let you do your job, but only as I see fit. Your chambers are right next to mine, just in case anything happens, and I doubt anything will. I will be having lunch in a few hours. I am sure you'll figure out my schedule quickly enough. Enjoy your day Guardian Talya." I went into my room after that. Not caring what Talya did or did not do.

~_dream_~

I changed into more simple clothes and headed down to the practice area. Just because I had a Guardian now did not mean I was going to neglect my workout.

As I practiced my Sailor attack I heard boot-steps on the wood floor of the practice area. I stopped and turned to see Talya walking in.

He stopped, crossed his arms, and arched an eyebrow at me.

I mimicked him.

"You should have told me where you were going, Princess." He said.

"You are my Guardian, not my keeper." I relaxed and went back to my practice, this time I practiced hand-to-hand maneuvers.

"I cannot do my job if I do not know where you are."

"Oh yes, I suppose some random assassin is going to jump from a dark crevice the moment I disappear from your sight?" I stopped and turned to look at him.

"Princess, with all due respect..."

I cut him off, "I was perfectly safe when I lived with Queen Serenity, what is so different now that I am home?"

"You know what, fine. Remain here and practice your little magic tricks. I am going back to the palace, so if someone discovers your mutilated body later, it is not my fault." He said calmly, and then left.

"If you are trying to scare me into letting you follow me around like a lost animal you are sorely mistaken Guardian Talya." I called after him, and then continued to practice until it was time for lunch.

~_dream_~

I returned to the castle and changed my clothes after bathing, then headed to lunch. To my surprise King Umbriel and Queen Desdemona of Uranus were waiting for me.

The King was a rather imposing man. He was tall with broad shoulders, and his deep reddish hair was long and pulled back out of his face. His light blue eyes were a contrast to his intimidating features as they seemed to be filled with kindness.

Queen Desdemona was the perfect contrast to her husband. She had delicate features with dirty blonde hair she kept pulled back in an ornate style. Her eyes were also blue, but darker.

With them were their two children, Princess Amara and Prince Thaddeus. I had met them a couple of times while living with Queen Serenity, but did not know them very well.

Princess Amara had a boyish look to her, even though she had her mother's hair and eyes. She kept her hair cut short in a boyish look and seemed to be rather uncomfortable in her deep navy dress.

Princess Thaddeus seemed to be completely at ease. His hair wasn't as dark as his father's but it still had a reddish hue. His eyes were light and bright like his fathers and he seemed to have a blend of both of his parents' features.

Both Princess Amara and Prince Thaddeus were older than me by a few years.

"King Umbriel, Queen Desdemona, what a surprise." I could not stop the surprise from my voice. I had only been back about a solar day and I was not expecting any visitors.

"We apologize for arriving unannounced Princess, but we decided that now would be a good time to set a date for your wedding." King Umbriel said.

"Wedding, what wedding?" I looked confused.

"Your wedding to our son Thaddeus of course," Queen Desdemona explained.

"I was not told that I was to marry the Prince," I said. I had no idea what was going on.

"No one ever told you?" King Umbriel asked.

"No. I am afraid not," I shook my head. "Is this why you insist I spend time with Prince Thaddeus whenever you visited the White Moon Palace?"

"I am afraid so, Princess, but Thaddeus tells us that you somehow managed to avoid spending much time with him, is this true?" Queen Desdemona said.

"I was more interested in studying history than young men Your Majesties." I explained.

"Well perhaps now that you are older you will take some time to get to know Thaddeus." The Uranian Queen said with a kind smile on her face.

"Perhaps, shall we sit down for lunch?" I asked, gesturing to the table where the cooks had lain out a wonderful looking lunch.

"Of course Princess," King Umbriel said and we sat down to lunch.

We had just begun eating when Talya entered the room.

"I apologize for my lateness Princess; I was not informed you were taking lunch. Or that we had guests." He scanned the table with a wary eye.

"Who is this, Princess?" King Umbriel asked.

"My Guardian, Zenas Talya, Queen Serenity assigned him to me. I personally do not feel the need to have a Guardian when I am I Sailor Soldier and can very well take care of myself." I explained as Talya sat two paces down from me, a respectable distance seeing as Prince Thaddeus sat to my right. The King, Queen, and Princess Amara sat across from me and the Prince.

"There is a Martian idiom that many of us live by Princess: It is better to be safe, than sorry." He stared down the table at me.

"If you say so Guardian," I said, not looking at him as I concentrated on my food.

There was silence for a few moments before Queen Desdemona spoke, "I think we should at least postpone the wedding until after your twenty-first birthday, Princess. Does that sound reasonable?"

"Yes, it will give me time to get comfortable in my position as ruler of the Dream Moon, and also give me time to get to know Prince Thaddeus a little better," I said, nodding and faking a pleased smile. "One thought plagues me, why I am to marry Prince Thaddeus? I was unaware of the arrangement."

The Queen smiled, "Well, many years ago Umbriel wanted to marry your mother, but she refused vehemently. Umbriel was persistent though, and so your mother made him an offer. If he would stop asking her to marry him she would allow her first born daughter to marry his first born son, and that my dear, is why you are to marry Thaddeus."

"I see," I frowned.

"So you have to marry Thaddeus at some point young lady. Your mother and I had a deal, and just because she was corrupted by an evil mirror does not mean the deal is off," King Umbriel said sternly.

I took a deep breath to calm myself, "Of course, Your Highness. The marriage would be a benefit to both of our worlds, easing relations between the Dream Moon and Uranus."

"Precisely, now this was a very nice lunch. Give my compliments to your chefs, but we must be going." King Umbriel stood.

"Thaddeus, would you like to stay and spend some time with Princess Nehellenia?" The King asked his son.

"Perhaps tomorrow, Father, I made a promise to a friend earlier today. I shall return tomorrow Princess." He stood, then bowed and kissed my hand.

The other Uranian royals left as well.

Once they were gone I sighed and sagged in my chair.

"Am I to understand that you do not wish to marry Prince Thaddeus?" Talya asked. He had been so quiet that I had nearly forgotten he was here.

"What gave you that idea?" I responded sarcastically.

"Simply a lucky guess," he shrugged. "We must all do things we do not wish to Princess; it is a simple fact of life. But know that if you do marry him, I shall not neglect my duty as your Guardian." He then got up and left the dining hall, leaving me alone.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, even _now, _after being sealed away for so long, my mother was having an influence on my life and I did not like it.

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><p>AN: When a character refers to time as solar years/days/months/weeks/etc, they are going by Earth's timetables, so a 24 hour day and so on, just to clarify.


	3. Chapter 2: Tours and Fights

A/N: I do not own Sailor Moon it belongs to Takeuchi Naoko. All OC's belong to me; any similarity to other fan-made characters is purely coincidental.

Thanks again to my beta: ObsessiveJemima, I owe her big time.

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><p><strong>Reaping Cherries<strong>

**Book 1 Chapter 2: Tours and Fights  
><strong>

The next morning when I left my room to go to breakfast I found Talya standing guard outside.

I rolled my eyes and headed in the direction of the dining hall. The sound of boot-steps on the marble floor told me Talya was following.

"I trust you slept well last night Princess?" He asked politely.

"I did not. I have been back less than a week and already I am being told what to do," I answered shortly.

"My apologies, Your Highness, I did not mean to upset you," he said.

I sighed, "It is not your fault Talya, you were simply being polite," I said as I offered a small apologetic smile for my slight outburst.

He offered a small smile back and we continued on our way to the dining hall.

"Good morning Princess, Guardian," My handmaiden Ariana, whom I had known all of my life, greeted with a small bow.

"Good Morning Ariana," I smiled as we sat down to eat. "We will be having guests sometime today; Prince Thaddeus of Uranus is coming to visit."

"Really? He is such a lovely young man Your Highness," Ariana smiled.

"Yes, well apparently I am to marry him come my twenty-first," I said sourly.

"You are? That is wonderful news," Ariana insisted.

"Did you know?" I gave Ariana a serious look.

"Know what, Princess?" She looked confused.

"Of the deal my mother made with King Umbriel, to wed me off to his first born son in exchange for her to not marry the king herself," I explained.

"No, I was not aware of any such deal Milady," Ariana shook her head.

I knew she was telling the truth so I let it go, "I guess I will just have to spend time with Thaddeus and pray to the Gods that we do not have to marry."

"I know this is none of my business, but I am curious as to why you do not wish to marry Prince Thaddeus, he seems decent enough," Talya spoke.

"It is what my mother wanted, and what my mother wants usually does not have my best interests at heart," I answered.

"After all these years you still have not forgiven her have you?" Ariana asked.

I was about to answer when a servant hurried into the room, "Pardon the interruption Your Majesty, but Prince Thaddeus of Uranus is on the video comm."

"Thank you, I will be right there. We shall continue this discussion later," I nodded to each of them and went to the communications room.

Prince Thaddeus smiled as I walked into view, "Good morning Princess, I hope I did not wake you."

"You did not," I smiled politely, "You did however interrupt my breakfast," I said with a slight smile.

He must have noticed the humor because he chuckled, "I called to ask if it was alright if my sister came along as well. She wishes to find a new sparring partner; none of our swordsman will spar with her."

"Princess Amara is more than welcome to come, I am sure she shall find a willing sparring partner here," I said.

"Thank you, we shall arrive within the hour, until then Princess Nehellenia," Prince Thaddeus nodded his head respectfully.

I did the same, "I shall be waiting."

When the call ended I left the room and went back to the dining hall.

"Is everything alright Your Majesty?" Ariana asked as I sat down to finish my breakfast.

"Yes, he simply wanted to ask if Princess Amara could come as well, I said she could," I answered.

~_dream_~

Nearly an hour later I stood in the Ark chamber with Talya, waiting for Princess Amara and Prince Thaddeus.

When they arrived we exchanged formal greetings.

"If you would like, Guardian Talya can show you to our practice fields. I am sure you will find a decent sparring partner there, Princess," I told Princess Amara.

"Of course, thank you," She nodded and followed Talya to the practice fields.

"Perhaps you can show me around the palace? I have only been here the one time and I did not see much of it," Prince Thaddeus said.

"I would be delighted to," I said with no real enthusiasm and took his offered arm and we began to walk.

"You have seen our Ark chamber and main dining hall, so I will not bother you with them. Here we have the throne room," I walked inside the brightly lit room. The crystal lights on the walls reflecting off the polished stone making it seem brighter than it really was.

"It is much different than the throne room of Miranda Castle," The Uranian prince commented.

"I once read that each castle reflects the vision of the Gods who created it. The Mirror Palace is a reflection of the God Morpheus of Dreams, and the Goddess Aletheia of Truth. You must look within yourself to see Truth and Dreams, thus, mirrors," I explained.

"And what do you know about Miranda Castle?" He asked as we left the throne room.

"Well, the navy blue and sun gold reflect the skies that Uranus represents. The airy, open feel of the room allows one to feel connected to the sky, even inside a closed room," I explained.

History had always been my favorite subject, so I knew a lot about the history of each kingdom and what they represented.

"What is this room?" He asked pointing to a closed door.

"The communications room," I said offhandedly.

"Yes, of course," he answered.

I led him out of the palace, toward the gardens. It was filled with white chrysanthemums, purple tulips, bittersweets, ferns, magnolias, and cherry blossoms. It was a beautiful place and had not changed much since I was a child. Fountains and benches were placed at strategic points along the paths.

"And I suppose the flowers have meaning as well?" Prince Thaddeus asked lightly.

"I have never really thought about that, but I suppose they might," I answered truthfully.

"I know you have a fascination with history, but tell me something Princess, what other interests do you have?" He asked as we walked through the gardens.

"I enjoy a number of things, I write, and I also enjoy training to use my Sailor powers and other abilities. I might spar with Princess Amara sometime. I hear she is a good warrior," I said.

"Yes, Amara is very good; she and Princess Lita are the best, especially with hand-to-hand combat skills."

"I have trained with Princess Lita on one or two occasions, she beats me every time," I smiled.

"May I watch you practice sometime?" He asked as we left the gardens and headed toward the practice fields.

"Perhaps. I have never been one for practicing with an audience unless they were sparing with me," I answered.

We reached the practice fields and I heard the sound of swords clashing.

We passed the small armory and saw Talya and Princess Amara (as Sailor Uranus) crossing swords.

We stood there for a few moments watching them. I had to admit Talya was pretty good, he was holding his own well against Sailor Uranus who was hands down the best sword fighter out of every Kingdom, and she was a scant five years older than I.

After a few more moments they broke apart for a break. Talya spotted us first and bowed, "Princess, Prince."

"Guardian," I greeted with a nod. "Sailor Uranus," I nodded respectfully.

"Queen Serenity picked a good one for you Princess. Guardian Talya is very good with a sword. He nearly disarmed me at least three times," Sailor Uranus said as she let the Space Sword vanish.

"I am glad to hear it. Would you like to join us inside for lunch?" I asked.

"It would be an honor Princess," Sailor Uranus let her transformation fade and we went inside for lunch.

~_dream_~

During lunch Princess Amara described the sparing match in detail.

"He lunged with a thrust, I parried to the right and caught him in the jaw with my fist," she made the motions with her hands.

"Actually you parried left Your Highness," Talya corrected.

"Yes, thank you," she said, "So I parried left and caught him in the jaw. He stumbles back and barely blocks my next attack."

"Yes, you are quite the formidable opponent, Princess. You rightly deserve the title of greatest swordswoman in Sol," Talya told her.

"So, Princess Nehellenia, did you enjoy your walk with my brother?" Princess Amara asked.

"It was nice, we spoke of history and the meanings behind the design of the Mirror and Miranda Palaces," I said.

"Yes, the Princess really knows her history," Prince Thaddeus nodded in agreement.

"If you are up for it Princess Amara, perhaps you and I could spar after lunch? I missed my morning workout giving Prince Thaddeus the tour," I said.

Princess Amara took another bite of food before answering, "That sounds good to me Princess and you can simply call me Amara. You are going to marry my brother so that practically makes you family."

"Alright, and you can call me Nehellenia, both of you," I told the Uranian royals.

"Then you may call me Thaddeus," Thaddeus said.

"And I am Zenas," Talya interjected with a smile.

"You are not being very funny Guardian," I told him but my tone was not one of malice.

"My apologies Princess," he bowed his head.

Amara slapped him on the back, nearly causing him to choke, "The man has a sense of humor – I like that."

Talya smiled weakly and Thaddeus shook his head, "Leave the poor man alone Sister."

Amara smiled and took another bite of food.

When we were finished with lunch Amara and I walked down to the training area, the men followed.

We both transformed with a thought.

"Do you want to fight with weapons or hand-to-hand?" Uranus asked.

"You are the guest, you decide," I told her.

"Weapons first," She drew the Space Sword.

I walked over to the weapons rack and pulled out my favorite weapon: a dagger.

"You cannot expect to beat me with that, do you?" Uranus asked.

"I fully intend to," I smiled and took my stance.

She kept her blade sheathed so that it would not harm me and the blade of my dagger was dulled enough that it also would not cause damage when it hit an opponent.

Uranus swung first, aiming for my exposed left side. I spun to the right and kicked out when she was behind me.

She caught my ankle and pulled up, flipping me head over heels. I pushed off with my other foot to give myself enough leverage to land on my feet.

I quickly spun to face her and used the dagger to parry a blow coming straight down.

We continued like this for several minutes, Uranus was beating me but not overwhelmingly so.

I dodged her next sword swipe but had left myself open for the punch to the midsection.

My breath rushed out of me and in a flurry of moves, she had me pinned to the ground. Her sword pressed gently to my throat.

"I yield." I knew when I was beaten.

She smirked and climbed off of me and offered her hand.

I took it and stood, "You fight well Sailor Uranus."

"I could say the same for you as well Sailor Dreamer," she smiled. "You certainly were not kidding when you implied you could beat me with that dagger. You almost had me a couple of times."

I nodded in agreement.

"You fight well Princess," Talya said when we reached them.

"Thank you Guardian. You were not so bad yourself."

"It is a bit warm out here, perhaps we should go back inside for a drink?" Thaddeus suggested.

"A very good idea Brother," Uranus said.

Together the four of us walked back inside the palace.

I spent the rest talking with Thaddeus and Amara. Both were pleasant company and we made plans to spend more time together.

I felt that even if I never fall in love with Thaddeus, I would at least be his friend. I know it is an odd thing to stay after only spending one full day with him but I see the Truth in all things. Thaddeus and I may never fall in love, but we shall at least remain friends.


	4. Chapter 3: Banishment

A/N: I do not own Sailor Moon it belongs to Takeuchi Naoko. All OC's belong to me; any similarity to other fan-made characters is purely coincidental.

HUGE thanks to my Beta: for putting up through my severe case of writers block.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to the birthday of **RingLupine**, who is not only my _**very first reviewer**_ (hint hint, wink wink), but also a real life friend of mine. Happy Birthday RingLupine, I'm so glad you love this story!

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><p><strong>Reaping Cherries<strong>

**Book 1 Chapter 3: Banishment**

Not much had happened in the last two years.

My friendship with Thaddeus and Amara had grown and I now considered Amara my best friend.

My relationship with Talya had grown into mutual respect for our abilities. He was beginning to understand that as a Sailor Soldier I did not have to rely on him all the time. We could not exactly be called friends, but we were at least making a start.

My 18th birthday was fast approaching and Queen Serenity had insisted that we hold the party at the Lunar Palace. I readily agreed; there was no way I could say no to the woman who raised me.

_~dream~_

A week later it was time for the party.

I was dressed in a long silver dress held up by thin straps. I also wore opal earrings, an opal pendant on a silver chain, my headdress, and silver heels.

I was escorted into the ballroom by Thaddeus with Talya walking behind us.

Queen Serenity smiled when we joined her, "Happy birthday, Nehellenia."

I bowed, "Thank you, Queen Serenity."

"You are welcome, Nehellenia, now go and enjoy yourself," she smiled and motioned toward the crowd.

I nodded and headed out into the crowd.

As I moved through the crowd I was greeted and wished a happy birthday by many of the party goers.

I stopped when I reached the other planetary royals who were standing in a group off to one side.

"Happy birthday Nehellenia!" Princess Serenity hugged me tightly.

"Thank you Serenity," I smiled and hugged her back.

The others also wished me a happy birthday as well.

"Where is Amara?" Thaddeus asked before I could. I had noticed Amara was not among our group.

"She is over there, talking to Lady Acire," Princess Lita pointed over to Amara who walk talking to a woman about my height with dark brown hair pulled into an ornate bun.

"It looks more like flirting to me," I commented, "I will see what she is up to."

I made my way through the small crowd of well-wishers to Amara and Lady Acire.

"Hello Amara," I greeted, "Lady Acire."

"Hello Nehellenia," Amara smiled and hugged me, "happy birthday."

"Greetings Princess," Lady Acire bowed, "I wish you happy birthday."

"Thank you both," I smiled. "I was wondering why you were not with the others?"

"Oh, I just needed to speak with Lady Acire for a moment, she tells some wonderful stories," Amara said. She then winked at Acire, who blushed.

"If you will excuse me your majesties I have something important to tell the queen," She bowed again and wandered off in the direction of Queen Serenity.

"You know you should just tell Princess Michelle you like her already instead of flirting with everyone else," I told her. Amara had been pining for the Neptunian princess for several months now and had yet to confess her feelings.

Amara blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "You know I am no good with confessions."

"I have trouble with enclosed spaces and yet I finally got through that last part of the obstacle course," I retorted.

"And that took you the better part of eight months," she said.

"Just do it already, you will be happier because of it," I told her.

"What would you know about it? It is not like you and my brother are head over heels for each other," she responded, folding her arms across her chest.

I rolled my eyes, "If you will not do it, then I will."

"You would not!" She gasped.

"I would so," I nodded, smirking. "I will make you a deal, you tell Princess Michelle you like her, and I shall be your only sparring partner for the next six months."

She bit her lip, thinking, until finally she nodded, "Deal."

I smiled and together the two of us walked back to the group, I winked at Thaddeus as Amara asked Princess Michelle if they could talk alone. I could not help but smile when I noticed that Amara's face was a red as Princess Raye's dress.

_~dream~_

The party was entertaining, all of my gifts were lovely, and the food was delicious. I just could not help from noticing the added security though, and Talya was no less than ten feet away at all times.

When the party was just about to break up, the doors opened and a tall woman with flaming red hair and matching eyes wearing a skintight strapless blue dress stalked into the room. She was followed by a hoard of creatures that were so bizarre that I could not even begin to describe them.

The guests without any fighting experience ran away from the woman, screaming in fright. I tensed as Talya moved to stand slightly in front of me in a protective posture. Princess Serenity ran to join her mother, Thaddeus gripped the hilt of his sword, and the other princesses stood ready to transform.

"The days of the Silver Millennium are numbered!" She shouted, "Attack, my youma!"

The creatures moved swiftly and I quickly transformed into Sailor Dreamer, multicolored flashes of light out of the corner of my eyes told me the others had transformed as well.

Both Talya and Thaddeus drew their swords and joined the fray.

The youma were weak and easily defeated, soon Talya had the woman's hands trapped behind her back and had her kneeling before Queen Serenity.

"Tell me your name," The Lunar queen stood tall and proud, her power obvious.

"I will know if you lie," I said from where I stood next to Sailor Uranus.

"I am Beryl from the Easter Roman Empire of Terra," The woman answered.

"Why did you attack us?" Queen Serenity asked.

"You Lunarians believe you are above even the Gods themselves, I have come to put a stop to it," She informed us.

"We believe no such thing. You shall be placed in a holding cell while we contact the King Dimitri and Emperor Constantine.* They shall decide what to do with you," Queen Serenity stated.

The queen waved her hand and guards took Beryl away.

"She is no longer a threat; you may relax and enjoy the rest of your evening. King Dimitri, Emperor Constantine and I shall take care of Beryl," The queen said then came over to me and hugged me. "I am sorry your party was ruined."

"There will plenty more than this one, but I must say it is the most eventful birthday I have had," I offered a small smile.

She smiled back, "I must contact King Dimitri, please, excuse me."

I nodded and she left.

After Queen Serenity left the rest of us relaxed.

"You should all return to your rooms and get some rest," Luna advised, "I am sure Queen Serenity will let you know the moment a decision has been reached.

We nodded and all headed off in the direction of our rooms.

_~dream~_

Once inside my chambers I headed into my bedroom and changed into a more comfortable dress. When I returned to my sitting room I found Talya standing by the fire staring at a box in his hands.

"Guardian?" I asked confused.

He turned around quickly, hiding the box behind his back, "Princess!" He seemed surprised.

"I thought you would be resting," I said as I poured us both a glass of something to drink, "you fought hard today."

"Thank you. You fought well too, Princess," He said respectfully.

"Thank you," I smiled and handed him his drink. "What is that you have there?" I asked.

"Oh, this?" He pulled the box out from behind his back. It was a black leather case with my name inscribed in silver lettering. "It is two things: a birthday present and a token of respect."

I sat my goblet on the table and took the box in both hands. I balanced the box carefully in one hand and unlocked the silver clasp and lifted the lid.

Inside the box was a silver dagger inside a silver sheath, attached to the sheath was a silver chain that would allow me to wear it around my waist.

The blade itself was simple, a basic dagger with a silver hilt and an opal in the pommel. I gently closed the lid and looked at Talya with a smile.

"I was unsure as to what to get you for your birthday, so I settled for something I knew about you. Having watched you practice, I noticed you favored daggers when fighting with weapons. I had this made especially for you with the Metal of Hephaestus. It has even been blessed so that you can wear it as part of your Sailor uniform," He explained.

I smiled and set the box gently on the table, then hugged him, "Thank you. It is a very thoughtful present."

It took him a moment, but he hugged me back. His embrace was slightly hesitant and he did not hold me very tightly, "You are welcome, Princess, I am glad you like it."

I stepped away and smiled up at him, he smiled back, "We should get some rest, it has been a long day and it will be quite some time before they make a decision."

"Of course, goodnight Princess," he nodded and headed for the door.

"Goodnight," I said when he reached the door, "Zenas."

He paused for a moment then left the room.

Once he was gone I sat on the sofa and pulled the dagger from its sheath. I could see the flames reflecting off of the polished silver surface. It was a truly beautiful blade.

I flipped it around in my hand a few times to get a feel of it. It was a very well made blade; the balance and weight of it were perfect for me.

Yawning, I sheathed the dagger and placed it carefully back in the box, making sure to close it before I went into my bedchamber to sleep.

_~dream~_

I was woken up sometime later by a knock on my door, "Come on sleepy-head! They have made a decision about your party crasher!"

I groaned and rolled over as Amara pounded on the door again.

"I am up!" I shouted back and I could hear a distinctly non-Amara-like giggle from the beyond the door and I could only assume that Princess Michelle was with her.

I got out of bed and straightened myself up before walking out into the sitting room to find Thaddeus, Talya, Amara, and Princess Michelle sitting around the room.

Thaddeus was talking to Princess Michelle while Talya glared at Amara as she examined the dagger. I noted that the two princesses were in their Sailor forms, so I quietly transformed into mine.

"I am ready, happy?" I asked my Uranian friend.

She put the dagger down with a smile as she turned to me, "About time."

I rolled my eyes and snatched up the dagger, fastening it around my waist.

"It looks good," Uranus looked at it appreciatively.

"I have Guardian Talya to thank for it," I smiled and headed for the door.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes," I said, "and it is well made too. The blade is made from the Metal of Hephaestus and can be worn either as Sailor Dreamer, or normally."

"That is nice," she said. "I wish I could use the Space Sword like that."

"If the princess needs to defend herself and I am not around, she will have a weapon other than her Sailor powers," Talya said, "just in case those powers fail her, you know?"

"Good idea," Thaddeus agreed.

We reached the main throne room and found the others already waiting.

Queen Serenity sat in her throne, flanked by King Dimitri on her right, and the Emperor Constantine to her left.

King Dimitri was not very tall, maybe five and a half feet with black hair and green eyes. Emperor Constantine was an older man who carried himself in a rather haughty manner and wore a very ornate toga.

I took my place in the line of Sailor Soldiers and watched as Queen Serenity announced Beryl's fate.

"After much deliberation and consideration the Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus of the Easter Roman Empire of Terra, the Terran King Dimitri Chikyu, and I, the Queen Serenity Shioritsuki of the White Moon Kingdom, have come to a decision regarding Beryl of the Eastern Roman Empire of Terra," The queen began.

"She is to be banished to the far reaches of the Sol System, never to be heard from again," King Dimitri finished.

"So it is done," Queen Serenity said, "A transport will take you to the providence of Sedna to live the rest of your life in exile. Take her away."

We watched at Beryl was taken away by guards and she kicked and screamed the whole way.

Once we could no longer hear her protests, Princess Serenity spoke, "Good riddance," She huffed, "serves her right for gate crashing my big sister's birthday party."

We could not help but chuckle.

"Emperor," King Dimitri said, "would you like to return to Terra?"

"I would actually, thank you," he nodded.

"We take our leave your majesty," King Dimitri said as he and the emperor bowed to Queen Serenity who bowed back.

"May Hermes smile upon your journey," She said as they left.

Once they were gone, we each returned to our respective palaces.

Many of us now believed Beryl was gone for good, myself included, but in the coming years we had absolutely no clue how wrong we were.

* * *

><p>AN: Whew...it took me forever to finally finish this chapter. I thank RingLupine for inspiring me!

*Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus was the actual emperor of the Easter Roman Empire at the time this chapter takes place. I am trying to make my story as historically accurate as possible since I'm such a big history nerd.


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